


Double-Sided

by bookishdelight



Category: Wreck-It Ralph (Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Friendship/Love, watch out for falling pop-culture references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 03:37:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17358212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookishdelight/pseuds/bookishdelight
Summary: A month after Sugar Rush's liberation, Vanellope sends for Taffyta. There are different sides to themselves that they must explore... but they can only do so together.





	1. Arcade Nature

**Author's Note:**

> Written right after the first movie dropped, over a period of a couple years. Thought I'd tossed it up here already, but I guess not! Enjoy! ~B

_"A delayed game is eventually good; a bad game is bad forever."  
_–  _Shigeru Miyamoto_

 _"...I just put in something I could remember easily."  
_–  _Kazuhisa Hashimoto, on creating the Konami Code_

–––

_Litwak's Arcade  
Solar Date: October 26, 2000 12:22 PM_

"Hey, Mr. Litwak, what's shakin'?"

The sound of ruffling papers could be heard as Larry Litwak looked up from the magazine he was reading at his counter to see a young man, looking no older than in his twenties, carrying a box. "Joe, my boy! Always a pleasure."

"Likewise." Joe looked around the arcade. The usual sight of classic stand–up cabinets, advanced sit–downs and modern deluxe interactives littered the house. All of them emitted noises––beeping and clacking, revving and shooting, thumping and trilling––which Joe knew by heart now. However, the sounds of  _people_  crowded around them, for once, was nowhere to be found. "Hey, LL. How come it's so deserted today?"

"Oh, new game console launch. Everyone's in the stores or already takin' 'em home."

"Well, aren't you worried? I mean, if that causes something like this..."

Litwak shook his head. "It's always like this. I've been through all the launches. New toy comes out, people take the time to have a love affair with it. But they always come back. Whatcha got for me today, Joe?"

Joe placed his box on the counter and opened it. After clearing away the snow and peanuts, he pulled out a plastic–wrapped circuit board, along with a marquee which read  _"Sugar Rush Will Never Be The Same!"._

"That one goes above the machine," said Joe, gesturing to the marquee. He then picked up the board. "Because,  _boo–yah!_  I give you... the latest and greatest  _Sugar Rush_  upgrade! Five new characters, a bunch of rebalances, and an upgrade to King Candy, now making him the 'ultimate racer!'" Joe paused. "At least that's what the pamphlet says."

Litwak scratched his head. "King Candy, the 'ultimate?' I thought the other royal–type already had that title. Penelope or something?"

"Yeah, Princess Vanellope. Just between you and me, I... think they bumped Kingie up to get more guys playing. I mean, you and I know it's a great game, but it's also pretty... y'know.  _pretty_. Y'know?"

"I won't comment."

"Hey, whatevers. Also, along with the new racers, everyone gets a new set of stats that grow with player performance. The whole system's designed to keep the game alive for years to come." He looked around again. "Unless you keep having days like this."

Litwak shook his head. "Joe, I'm serious. I'm not worried."

"And I trust you, but I gotta know. How can you  _be_  so 'not worried,' dude?"

Litwak didn't even blink. "Because of the nature of the arcade." He gestured around the large play area. "Variety everywhere you look, all in one place, and everyone's welcome. Kids, teens, adults, couples... we've still got some seniors keeping the pinball tables oiled. They can play, they can talk, they can mingle, they can share each others' smiles and laughs as they go for high scores or first place or a black belt or the last alien invader."

Joe simply nodded, taking it all in.

"And the whole time? It's a place any gamer can feel safe––at least if the person in charge knows what they're doin'. If there are any differences, folks can talk it out, face to face, and if it gets too nuts... well." He reached under the counter, pulled out a shiny aluminum bat, and set it on the ground with a force and sound which caused Joe to step back on instinct. "Ol' Slugger's never failed me yet." Noting Joe's look, he added, "Ahh, don't worry. Never had to actually  _use_  this thing. It just sends the message."

"I... yeah," said Joe. "Think I'm startin' to get it."

"Great." The bat was put away. "Litwak's has been in business for decades, son. My Nana'll shut down before this place does, and those are just  _some_  of the reasons."

"Well, if you say so. Kind of makes me wish I had a time machine so I can see if you're right or not. Anyways, the instructions are all in the box, and you still know the tech support number, right?"

Litwak sifted through the box. "Yep. not that I usually need it––your company's hardware is always a snap to work out."

"That's what I like to hear! Anyway, gotta jet! Hot date tonight––you were my last stop."

"Ha! Figured as such. Still with Silvia?"

"Same question, same answer. She's the  _one_ , man."

"Excellent. Give her my regards."

"Will do, L–Dub! Laters!"

"See you." Litwak watched Joe exit the arcade, then shook his head and snickered. "'L–Dub." He walked across the near–empty arcade, to a pink sit–down racer blaring pop music. "'Sugar Rush,' huh? Another one of those games that'll probably last until this place closes for good."

He looked back at the board laying on the counter.

"Well, it looks like from tonight onward, you'll be seeing lots of changes."


	2. The Summons

_Sugar Rush Speedway_   
_Candy Castle Entrance_   
_System Clock: 2012.12.24 23:09_

She'd raced the Sugar Rush Speedways countless times, and knew them like the back of her hand.

She held the fastest lap times on Sherbet Road––a narrow, guardless track suspended dozens of feet in the air. She'd done downhills on the near–vertical Peppermint Pattycake Plains. She'd once carved a shortcut  _through_ Gobstopper Valley to regain first place in a race. She'd even skimmed the sides of Smoothie Swirlpool, and lived to rub it in everyone's faces. Taffyta Muttonfudge was not one to show fear, no matter what danger she happened to be staring down.

That did not mean, however, that she was incapable of  _feeling_  it. She would never admit it, but the tiniest bit tugged at her right now as she was escorted into  _Sugar Rush_ 's royal castle by two walking gumdrop guards, both of whom were armed with candy–cane spears.

Single–striped spears, even. Their ruler had known enough to use the reinforced ones. If things got out of hand, escape wouldn't be easy.

Once inside, she slowly spun her head to look around the huge throne room. Truth be told, it actually wasn't too different from when King Candy had set up shop here. Still full of pink and candies and smiling faces and candy swirls and gummi ornaments––while hiding the bitterness which lay beyond each and every single one of its walls.

But front and center of it all, was the most important and influential piece of decor: a girl about her age, dressed in black, brown and turquoise, sitting on the throne. The girl kicked her legs back and forth with a happy smile as she stared at Taffyta, looking as if she hadn't a care in the world.

A couple of months ago, that girl would have been silently lying.

But things change.

–––

 _"All hail Princess Vanellope Von Schweetz!"_  one of the guards called. Both stood at attention and set the tips of their spears onto the hard candy floor, giving off a loud  _clack_ which echoed through the throne room. "Presenting Miss Taffyta Muttonfudge, as requested!"

And as quickly as Taffyta had seen Vanellope's smile, it disappeared from her face, replaced with a look of annoyance. "You  _guuuyyyys!_  It's 'President.'  _Pres–i–dent_." She threw up her hands. "Ugh. They even  _sound_  almost the same. How do you keep screwing this up?"

One of the gumdrops stepped back. "S–s–sorry, Y–Your Highness! It's just that–"

_"HEY!"_

"I–I mean,  _Miss President!_  Please, forgive us!"

Vanellope lowered her head into one palm. "Ugh. Just... just get outta here. But thanks for bringing who I asked for, at least." She looked back up and waved the gumdrops off. They slowly backed away, their spears temporarily pointing at Taffyta until they were satisfied enough to exit the room completely.

Vanellope shook her head and turned to Taffyta. "Sorry. I've tried to explain the title thing to them tons of times. Turns out it takes a while to break monarchy guards outta monarchy habits." She rolled her eyes. "Almost makes me wish we still got upgrades like back in the old days, y'know?"

Taffyta gestured around the room. "You know, in their defense? This place still gives off, like, every royal vibe imaginable. Just saying."

Vanellope's smile slowly returned. "Heh. Yeah, I know, you're right. Still  _totally_  has the princess mojo  _all over it_. But look, if you inherited a place this big, would  _you_  complain?" She bounded out of her seat and walked towards Taffyta, who resisted the overwhelming urge to take a step back.

"I guess not? But I  _would_  complain about your guards dragging me here without even giving me a chance to get ready! Since when does our game support teleporting? Like, one second I'm doing a time trial. Next, those gumdrop guys show up and point a stick at me. And the last,  _poof_ , I'm here!" Taffyta sighed. "My ride's probably a wreck."

Vanellope gasped with delight. "Sweet! That means it worked!" She laughed. "Heh heh, yeah. Effective, huh?"

"Yeah! Effective! Also  _extremely rude!_ I'm going to have to build a whole new kart now!"

Vanellope simply blinked.

Taffyta stifled a low growl. Vanellope didn't seem to get it at all. Frustration drowned out apprehension for a split second, and she acted on it, stamping one foot and using her most practiced demanding voice. "Vanellope.  _Why am I here?_ "

"...oh. That."

The noise and tone did not go unnoticed. Vanellope's smile became smaller, and her voice became more level, taking on less of a squeak. "Simple," she said, walking towards an opening to the rear left of the room. "There's something I've been preparing for you for a while now." She nodded. "And I think today's the perfect day for it."

"For what?"

Vanellope nodded her head towards the side and walked through the opening, beckoning for Taffyta to follow. "C'mon. You'll see."

The second they were both on the steps, she indeed saw it. A huge sign marked  _"This Way To the Fungeon!"_  could be seen, clear as day, adorning a two–way winding staircase. The sign pointed downwards.

At that moment, Taffyta stopped fighting the fear, and let it take over completely.

So it  _was_ time, after all.

\---

She'd heard tales of King Candy's Fun Dungeon. How Rushers who were either naughty on their own, or whose players made too many mistakes on the racetrack, were sometimes sent here after the arcade was closed for "time–outs." A minigame centered around the room had even been implemented at one point: Rushers who ended up in the Fungeon would be tortured––hilariously, of course!––in an effort to improve their stats for the next race.

However, the minigame had been commented out at the last minute once focus–group testing of the game had gotten under way. Fortunately, a console version of the game was never released, which both attributed to the arcade machine's lasting popularity, and made sure that one of the game's shameful secrets so far never saw the light of day...

...at least in public. The populace of  _Sugar Rush_  were still very much aware of its history, and Taffyta afforded herself a single shiver. She'd taken pride in never ending up there herself.

Vanellope noticed Taffyta's frozen hesitation once she was halfway up one of the stairs' flights. She called down. "Hey Taffyta! Why are you looking so..."

Taffyta backed away with a shiver. " _This_  is why you brought me here?" she said in a weak voice. "We apologized.  _I_  apologized. We had a huge re–coronation race, remember? We welcomed you back!"

Vanellope followed Taffyta back into the throne room. "Yeah, I  _do_  remember all that! It was awesome!"

"Well, then, if you were still mad, why didn't you  _just tell_  us instead of disappearing for over a month? Just to pull this?"

"What? Taffyta! It's not like that! Come back!"

Taffyta turned around, making an outright running break for the castle entrance. Her footsteps echoed across the walls, double–time. " _No way!_ There's no way I'm going in there! You can't make me, or any of us!"

Vanellope started to run after Taffyta, who by now was already halfway to the doors. Seeing this, she stopped, closed her eyes, and concentrated for a split second.

Aquamarine light surrounded her, then  _became_  her. One instant she was where she'd started––the next, she was directly in Taffyta's path. The strawberry–topped Rusher slammed into her and landed on the floor.

Realizing her predicament, Taffyta scampered backwards until she could stand, then ran in the opposite direction... only to smack directly into Vanellope again. Three times. Four. On her fifth failed flight attempt, the futility of her situation sank in.

Vanellope sighed and shook her head. "Look, Taff, we can do this all night, but I really don't wanna."

From her sitting position, Taffyta looked once more at the junior brunette, her mind flashing, for a split second, on the days when their positions had been reversed.

Sparks popped in her mind as she did so, bringing forth brief, scattered,  _vivid_ moments filled with anger and sadness... and she was quickly reminded that, current situation or no, things were  _still_  better this way.

Maybe.

She held up her arms in resignation. "Look, go ahead and lock me up. I was the meanest to you, and I've had it coming. But leave the others out of it, okay? They really were just following my orders."

 _"Lock you up?"_  Vanellope blinked again, utter confusion now written across her face. "What are you  _talking_  about?"

"Y–you know!" sputtered Taffyta, pointing back to the stairs. "The Fungeon! For the way we all mistreated you..."

The second the words sunk in, Vanellope's hand loudly hit her forehead. "Sheesh! That sign's gonna be the sudden death of me, I swear." She sighed. "Look, I only keep it around to remind  _myself_ of what I don't  _wanna_  become. But the actual place? It's been quintuple–bolted since I moved back in here."

"It..." A spark of hope made itself known inside Taffyta for the first time since she had arrived. "...it has?"

Vanellope nodded. "Yeah! It has!"

"So you  _didn't_  warp me here just to toss me in there?"

And suddenly,  _Vanellope_  looked hurt. Her eyes closed and her head angled low, a forlorn look crossing her face. It was the last thing Taffyta expected, and she was unable to help her pangs of regret at making the suggestion.

"I would  _never_  put you there," said Vanellope in a barely–audible voice. "It's cold, and dark, and sad––and I've been thrown in there before so many times, just for being myself. I would  _never_  subject anyone else to that."

"V–Vanellope, I..." Taffyta's mind went frantic, rethinking things from the new perspective. Meanwhile, Vanellope nodded towards Taffyta with open and wide eyes.

"I just wanted you here in a hurry. Warping you here was easier than having you take a really long drive from wherever. You got the royal escort and fast–travel 'cause I wanted you here in style! Though thanks to King Candy I've only got so much to work with right now." She paused and took a deep breath, as if to brace herself for her next words. "Sorry for getting all excited. I should have thought this through better."

"You're not going to punish all of us after all?"

Vanellope shook her head and sighed. "I totally get why you'd expect me to. I know it's been a while, but this game used to be run a lot differently." Vanellope extended her hand. Taffyta took it, surprised at its warmth as she allowed herself to be helped to her feet. "And that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about today."

Vanellope's eyes moved up to meet Tafyta's. The latter looked back into them, and saw a familiar–looking sincerity she couldn't quite place...

...and the images raced through her mind again, like a random–chance bonus stage; they were in pieces, they ran in a constant roulette, and it was impossible to land on anything that matched...

Taffyta stopped thinking about it, deciding instead to remember that she was no longer a prisoner. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, Vanellope."

Vanellope winked. "And I'm sorry for scaring the underwear off of the  _great Taffyta Muttonfudge._ "

"W– _What_?" Taffyta recoiled. "You did  _no such–_ "

Vanellope put her hands to her cheeks, making with the morbid mimicry. "Oh,  _please_ , President Vanellope, don't throw me into the mean nasty dungeon! I'll be gooooood!" She cackled and bounded back to the stairway.

With a blushing laugh, Taffyta gave chase. "I take back anything good I ever said about you!"

"Back around the turn of the century, you mean?"

They went back to the staircase, upon which Taffyta afforded herself one last look at the sign, and a shudder to go with it.

"Hey!" Vanellope called from up the stairs. "Seriously, stop looking there. Unless you really  _do_  wanna see what it's like." She walked down and grasped Taffyta's wrist with both hands while moving back up the spiral staircase. "C'mon already. Your legs aren't bugged, are they?"

"Huh? O–Oh, right!"

And Taffyta ran up the stairs as well.

–––

They walked for three floors until they came to a door, arched and encrusted with candy canes, sweet–sours, and jellybeans. This close, the smell of syrup nearly overpowered. The door was also five times as tall as either of them and three times as wide. Vanellope threw it open with ease. "Aaaand... ta–da!"

Taffyta simply stared.

Vanellope giggled. "Nah, I ain't that strong. It responds to my code. Who knew?"

"Oh." Taffyta walked in, and in moments was greeted with the most majestic sight she'd laid eyes on since the Fruit–Flavored Fireworks show last summer.

Cotton candy adorned the walls and ceiling. The desks were made of cinnamon and chocolate. Gummi bears surrounded the bed, some laying on it, some wearing clothes. The bed itself was propped by four huge candy–cane bedposts, curtained by fruit tape, and lined with sheets of wax paper and a cookie–dough comforter.

 _"Wow,"_  was all she could say with a small squeal. "Fit for a princess, huh?"

Vanellope let out a long sigh and a sheepish chuckle. "Heh, yeah, right down to the crazy amount of pink that came with the place. Totally wish we still got upgrades. I'd have 'em get some green up in here." Her grin showed white, cavity–free teeth. "Maybe even some of those stone gargoyle thingies! I hear they become real at night. They'd be  _killer_ castle guards."

Taffyta held back a shudder at the mental image... then did so anyway as more flashed in her mind. Herself. Vanellope in a frilly gown. Both in a room just like this. Both scared out of their minds. She'd been here before. She was sure of it. "Well, gargoyles or not, it's still pretty impressive," she said.

"Thanks! This isn't what I actually wanted to show you, though." Vanellope approached a dresser drawer. " _That's_  in here." She opened it, and took out a black box, with a picture of two striped lollipops crossed together on the top.

Taffyta peered at the box. "What...  _is_ it?"

"Well, for a while, whenever I tried to go to sleep, I could just...  _feel_ something calling me, over in this direction. And when I finally got up the nerve to go check it out, I found this. It says I can't add to it anymore, but I can read the heck out of what's on it. Um... well, most of it." She handed it to Taffyta.

"What's on it?" asked Taffyta, just one second before she took the box. It glowed in her hands, and she gasped as images splayed and scrolled across its surface––some of which she'd seen only minutes earlier.

Some of them were still. Some of them moved. All of them involved herself or Vanellope––complete in her princess gown––or both, in some way. On racetracks, laughing with the other Rushers, hanging out in or around the castle...

"There... there's so  _many_ ," Taffyta breathed. "A lot of these... I don't remember them all that well, but..."

"Yup, that's what I said." Vanellope stood beside the mystified Taffyta. "All the locks on our memories might've been undone, but they still kinda got scattered all over the place. I know I'm still struggling to remember things. Finding this helped a lot."

Taffyta gasped. "So that's why so many things are still fuzzy to me and the others. It makes sense!"

"Uh–huh." Vanellope nodded. "This's like the door to my room. Responds to my code, except  _this_  door leads to a whole  _bunch_  more stuff. And  _that's_  why you're here. It's not just asking for my code anymore––it's asking for  _yours_ , too."

" _Mine?_  Why would it..." She trailed off, looking at the images once more. "Hmmm..."

"I'm not sure why either, but I want to find out." She looked at Taffyta with pleading eyes. "Can you help me?"

Taffyta thought it over for a few seconds, then nodded. "Sure."

Vanellope squealed. "Thanks! Okay, so all you gotta do is put your hand here..." She took hold of Taffyta's hand, placing it on the box. "...and whatever hits your mind? Don't fight it."

"If you say so." Taffyta firmed her hold on the box, closed her eyes, and began to concentrate, only to find out she didn't need to. The box freely offered its contents, and did so with energy.

Her head felt light and tingly. The world around her pixelated into nothingness. Through her mind, she could feel holes being filled, scraps being glued together, blurry images clearing.

The restoration had begun.


	3. The Experiment

_Sugar Rush Speedway_   
_Pistachio Peaks Racetrack_   
_System Clock: 1999.09.09 01:24_

"Argh! C'mon, silver–spoon! You'll never keep up with me if you don't give it all you've got!"

The two had already raced past a dozen near–frozen twists and turns, boosting on straightaways and sliding as quickly around corners as they could. One–on–one races rarely gave them the chance to use offensive items, which was just as well––whenever Taffyta raced Vanellope, the two always agreed never to use them.

Pistachio Peaks was lined with both ice and ice  _cream_ , most of which had a habit of seeping onto the track itself. Traction was therefore more of a luxury than something to count on. They'd just made it through a cave dripping with mint–flavored frozen dairy, with more than one close call in the process.

"Maybe I oughtta just challenge Sour Bill instead! At least  _he_  knows how to keep on rolling if he wants to!" Taffyta lightly swerved around another ice patch as she called out to her competitor. Taunting was one of her special racer's skills, but here, it was mainly to keep herself motivated.

Because Vanellope never answered back.

Taffyta had never been able to figure it out. Either keeping calm under pressure was one of Vanellope's special abilities, or she was just too naive to know what all the taunts meant. Either way, that pretty–pretty princess was always able to stay mere feet behind her, constantly giving Taffyta a run for her money, remaining unfazed all the while.

 _Honestly._  Having a rival kept her on her toes, but the price was a never–ending frustration.

Taffyta shifted her gaze back to the road, deciding to ignore the Sugar Princess for now and concentrate on finishing the race. The decider was dead ahead: a sharp turn, followed by a huge jump, with the finish line a short distance from landing on the peak which gave the track its name. Win, and it was always a total rush. Lose, and, well... regeneration, but also total humiliation, which Taffyta just wasn't about.

She decided, for once, to play it safe. She let go of the gas, and softly applied her kart's brakes going around the corner until she knew her angle would pull her out straight. She then pushed her brakes further for a single full second, letting her powerslide carry her through the rest of the turn. By the time she hit the gas again, her kart's built–up boost rocketed her forward, allowing her to sail off of the chilly ramp with extra speed and force.

Taffyta smiled to herself. Her jump was  _perfect_. Let's see  _Sugar Rush_ 's so–called "ultimate racer" beat th–

_"Taaaffyyytaaaaa!"_

–oh,  _no._

Taffyta looked behind her, her worst fears confirmed.  _How?_  How was Vanellope still right behind her? And catching up to her in midair, no less! Had she kept her speed through the whole curve?

And she was  _still_  smiling without a care in the world. That was always the worst part.

However, just as Taffyta's heart threatened to drop to her stomach, she noticed something ruffling around Vanellope in the wind... after which Vanellope's car became smaller in Taffyta's rear view.

So it was true.

It'd have been hilarious if Taffyta didn't feel just the slightest bit sorry for her. There was a reason she'd chosen this course for their race, with this final huge jump at the end. Now she had her answer.

She landed and crossed the finish line, fully confident in what to do next.

\---

"And that's that." Taffyta exited her kart and dusted her hands. "Looks like you and I are back to 50% win ratio against each other!  _So_ sorry to have to remind you who's boss around here," she said, doing her best to ignore the crown perched atop her rival's head. "Oh, wait––so totally  _not_."

"Hey, now!" From close by, Princess Vanellope's head popped up from her kart. Her voice was fast and high–pitched, yet controlled––almost forcefully so. "You gotta admit, it was way close! Shoot, it seems like it always is between you and me."

Taffyta huffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. I mean, for Sucrose's sake, is  _rubberbanding_ your special racer's power?"

"Heh heh! Aww, don't be like that, Taffyta." Vanellope got out of her car, her flowing red royal dress poofing out to all sides to accommodate its newfound extra breathing room. "You of all racers know know I'm better than I let on."

Taffyta sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Main Character Clause and all that. Guess it's a good thing for me that I get saved so often by your lack of fashion sense. I mean, seriously. That last jump. Do you  _get it_  now?"

"I..." On cue, a strong breeze blew, causing Vanellope's royal dress to ruffle harshly and noisily. "...huh. Okay, yeah, I'm listening."

Taffyta produced a lollipop from her pockets and began sucking on it. "I keep telling you, it's that primped and prissy princess dress that's slowing you down. Look at all the drag it creates!" Taffyta pointed her lollipop at the dress's lower half, then its shoulders. "Totally non–aerodynamic."

"I know you don't like the outfit, Taffy. But no amount of fun–making will change the fact that this is the only one I've got." Vanellope sat on the hood of her kart, shrugged and pointed to Taffyta's strawberry–themed ensemble. "Just like that's the only one you've got. Fighting game characters get multiple costumes." She plopped her chin into her hands. "We don't."

–––

Taffyta looked at the resigned Vanellope, and sighed again. No doubt––it was time. Half of her still couldn't believe she was about to do this. As if Vanellope needed to be any  _more_  special?

But she'd committed to this a while ago, and she might as well see it through. If nothing else, it would make their races even more interesting than they were already. Yeah. That was the ticket. It was all for the racing.

"Actually... about that." Taffyta went to her kart, opened a side compartment, pulled out a miniature box made of thin, bright red cardboard, and gave it to Vanellope.

"What's this?" asked the princess.

"Ugh, don't  _ask_  me. Just  _open_  it," said Taffyta.

Vanellope did so, pushed the paper inside aside, and her eyes went wide as she took out a turquoise hooded sweater, striped socks, and a brown skirt in a set. She stood up, spread each out in front of her in sequence, disbelief written on her face. "Wha... I... Taffyta, i–is this..."

"Y–Yeah. I..." Taffyta's hands fidgeted and wrung together as she rocked back and forth on her heels. "...got tired of heckling you about the stupid dress too. Unlike  _you_ , though, I decided to  _do_  something about it. Got the idea last time I was doing runs here. I brought it up to the others, and they jumped on board scary quick."

"They..." Vanellope's mouth widened to match her eyes. "...they did?"

"Uh–huh. See, look." She stepped closer, and took out a mirror from her pockets. "Minty noticed how much you love candy canes so she did the striped stocking design, kind of like mine. And the brown on the skirt totally goes with  _nobody_  but you, especially 'cause of your eyes."

Vanellope grinned. "I like! Who thought that one up?"

Taffyta muttered her answer under her breath, forcing Vanellope to lean in closer. "Huh? What'd ya say?"

Taffyta huffed and lightly stamped a foot in the ice cream.  _"I said it was Rancis, okay?"_

Vanellope blinked. _"What."_

"Yeah. Kinda threw us all for a loop. Talk to  _him_  about it if you're so curious, okay? Moving on! We tossed in some black shoes from some old concept model that never got used. Put 'em all together, and  _boom!_ The new Vanellope Von Schweetz! If she wants it." Taffyta paused. " _Please_ want it. I'm tired of beating you on jumps."

Vanellope didn't answer. She simply stood with a stare, anything she attempted to say coming out as a mild squeak. Eventually Taffyta could only take so much. "Look, quit your gaping and try it  _on_ already, will ya? It's still pretty cold up here."

That snapped Vanellope out of it. "R–right! Don't gotta tell me twice!" She laid the ensemble on top of the box, reached out, and touched it with one hand. The clothes dematerialized in a swirl of glowing 1s and 0s, then swirled around  _herself_.

One white flash later, the whole thing was on her, with her royal dress nowhere to be found. "Oh my gosh."

"Huh." Taffyta took a lick from her lollipop as she observed Vanellope checking herself out in the mirror––and did the same with her own eyes. "Not bad at all."

"And you guys made all this for me?" Vanellope stepped closer to her rival. "I never knew you cared this much, Taffyta."

Taffyta fought a blush––and failed miserably. Curses. "W–well... just the idea was me. Total group effort, I told you. Like, it turns out Candlehead's really good at sewing. Once we, uh, took shifts to make sure her candle was out whenever she worked so she stopped scorching the fabric textures, that is."

Vanellope giggled.

"No, seriously! Do you know how  _attached_  she is to that thing? She's all 'My candle's a part of me! Get rid of that, and I'm just a  _head_!' And the whole time we're just rolling our eyes, and you know how she is around water  _already_ , and..." Taffyta fell silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. "Look, if you tell anyone this, I'll deny it. But all of us, me included? We wondered if you might've felt a little out of place. I know I didn't help matters any. So if this helps you fit in with the other Rushers a little more, then I've done my job. And you're welcome to it."

A long silence passed before Vanellope whispered her reply. "You were right."

Taffyta did a double–take. "We were?"

"Yeah. You were." Vanellope nodded. "In the back of my mind, I was always scared that maybe you guys didn't like me very much because I was 'The Princess,' you know?" She lowered her head. "A–And if you did, I–I didn't know what I could do about it. I didn't  _ask_  for the role. I was  _written into_ it."

Taffyta stepped in front of Vanellope, and nudged her head back up. "But you're a  _cool_  princess. No one's really got a problem with, like, who you are, or how you do things. But hey, now you  _do_  get to choose when that is, instead of being forced to broadcast it all the time."

Vanellope smiled. "Yep! And I'll be takin' that option aaaaallllllll the time, trust me."

And for the first time, Taffyta smiled back. "Well, I'm glad you're so into the idea! 'Cause that means I can make with the coup de grace."

Vanellope blinked. "Huh? The chocolate cake what now?"

Taffyta scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Ladies and gentlemen,  _Sugar Rush_  royalty." She reached into her pockets again and took out a small plastic bag, holding it up to Vanellope, who looked at it inquisitively.

"Candy?" Vanellope peered at it closer. "No, wait! Candy barrettes! That's  _genius_! Lemme at–"

Taffyta yanked the bag away. "Ah ah ah! Don't touch! No way I'm leaving this to the program. I've had these for too long. They're, uh, pretty special to me."

Vanellope nodded. "I remember now! You wore these a lot before the first upgrade switched you to your hat, right?"

"Heh. Yep." Taffyta patted her strawberry top. "Didn't really like having the giant fruit on my head at first, but eventually we learned to get along." She pointed to the bag. "Still, I sometimes miss them."

"Wait, so if they're that special to you, why give them to–"

"Because  _quiet_ , that's why!" Her voice was unnaturally loud on the mountaintop. "I–I mean, they'll give me something to chase the few times I'm lagging behind you on the track. So you're stuck with' em from now on. No give–backs."

"Wow. Thanks, then."

"Save the thanks for tonight." Taffyta pointed straight at Vanellope and smiled in triumph. "'Cause that's when you're getting a  _personal_  style job from yours truly! By the time I'm done, your hair's gonna be as sweet as the rest of you." She stopped for a second, and mock–recoiled. "Don't get any ideas from all this, though. We're still rivals. Bitter, bitter rivals. Got it?"

Vanellope laughed out loud and threw her arms around Taffyta. "Sure."

"Hey, you! What did I  _just say_?" Taffyta put up a token resistance before sighing dramatically and wrapping her arms back around the girl she was only just now admitting she might be able to––publicly––call a friend.

And that was when she felt Vanellope lean forward to whisper in her ear.

"Thank you, Taffyta. I'm not sure I would have been a princess, given the choice. But with subjects like you... I'm now so happy I am."

It was official––Taffyta was now warm enough to melt the mountain if she wanted to.

"Oh,  _shut up_ ," was her only reply as she firmed her embrace around Vanellope, bringing the two closer together under an ice cream sunset.

–––

 _Sugar Rush Speedway_  
_Candy Castle, Vanellope's Chambers_  
_System Clock: 2012.12.24 23:39_

With a jolt, Taffyta snapped back to reality.

She tried to look up from the box, but the second she did, her body felt faint, and she immediately lost her balance. With a groan, she lost the ability to stand. Fortunately, Vanellope thought quickly and was there to catch her before she collapsed completely. "Whoa, there! Hey, it's okay. Just hold on to me."

"Not sure I... can do even that," Taffyta said weakly. "I don't know what that box did, but it took way too much out of me."

"Oh yeah. That happened to me too when I first used this thing. Something about how it reads who you are. You'll be okay in a few minutes, though. Want me to... you know. Just hold you, until then?"

"Mmmmm... you'd better... not drop me," Taffyta whispered.

"Nah, never. By the way, in case you were wondering, I was facing the bed that first time I almost fainted. C'mon, we'll sit there." She placed Taffyta on it and sat at her side, still holding her. "Aaaaaaand  _there_. You good?"

Taffyta groaned again, but shuffled in recovery. "Wow, though. I saw everything.  _Felt_  everything. The race, what happened afterward... it was like I was really there."

"Yeah, so did I. You know, I forgot how much grief my old dress gave you. In a lot of ways it was really funny. But..." Vanellope looked away. "...you know."

Taffyta nodded. "Yeah. I know." She stayed quiet until she could gather her words. "Hey. Vanellope?" She twiddled her thumbs.

"Yeah?"

"Since it's just us two here? I was always just half–kidding about your dress. It just seemed to be the only way I could ever get a rise out of you enough that we could do the whole rival thing."

With one hand, Vanellope turned Taffyta's face so that their eyes met, and she threw in a benevolent smile––straight out of her princess days, Taffyta quickly realized––free of charge. "I know."

Taffyta sighed and shook her head. "Yeah, and I guess I should've."

The two stayed like that for a while, one holding the other, vanilla and strawberry scents mixing around them. In a matter of minutes, Taffyta felt like she could drift off right there and be happy.

Which Vanellope must have sensed, as she chose that moment to speak up. "So, uh, do you feel up to one more?"

Taffyta did a double–take. "Wait, what _?_ "

"Well, the box is still asking for both of us. I did some checking... and there's just one file left."

Taffyta stared at the box with wary eyes. "It's not gonna, like, sap me again, is it?"

Vanellope beamed. "Nope! It knows you now. Harmless as a Twinkie pup."

Taffyta sat upright, suddenly fully refreshed.

"Then bring it on."


	4. The Truth

_Sugar Rush Speedway_   
_Candy Castle Racetrack_   
_System Clock: 2001.01.31 22:05:49_

_"My fellow Rushers! Your so–called 'princess' has failed you! Race, and race hard, in the name of your one true king!"_

The voice echoed throughout the palace, accompanying the sounds of the thunderstorm pelting outside Candy Castle's walls, the yells of aggressive drivers, and the simultaneous roar of the engines of nearly every single  _Sugar Rush_  kart ever assembled.

The karts crashed through the castle, knocking everything over in their path, and launching weapons which crackled, splashed, squashed and even exploded through the halls. It was a scene of true havoc, and all but two Rushers were in on it.

One of those two raced  _against_ the pack, launching every weapon she could at the others. The second was taking refuge in her room, desperately trying to make sense of everything and get a plan together before... well, before she was captured, or worse.

It  _was_ how coups tended to work, after all.

–––

_Sugar Rush Speedway_   
_Candy Castle, Princess Vanellope's Chambers_   
_System Clock: 2001.01.31 22:10:10_

"Destruction derby," King Candy had called it. A new race type, he'd said. The damage done would be worth the amount of new gamers it'd bring to the machine. And what better place to hold it than Vanellope's castle, the most elaborately–designed and distinguished locale in all of Sugar Rush? Why, the spectacle alone would be worth its weight in quarters!

King Candy had been making lots of suggestions like that over the past few months. First it had been brakes–free races. The next had been kart combat inside closed arenas. When the derby had been suggested, Vanellope's suspicions had been pushed to the breaking point. Upon going to the Code Room to look the term up herself, she found herself locked out.

Then she'd heard the crashes, signifying the start of the event without her permission, and realized––days too late––that she'd been had.

 _"Vanellope!"_  A familiar voice––the only one she still trusted––punctuated several harsh knocks at the door to her room. "Can you hear me? Lemme in,  _quick!_ "

Vanellope ran to the huge door and opened it. No sooner had she done so than Taffyta ran in, her outfit and face littered with splotches of candy and ice cream.

"Taffyta!" Vanellope gasped and took a step back. "Don't tell me all this time you've been–"

"Yeah." Taffyta's reply came amidst quick, deep breaths. "I'm just sorry I couldn't do more. It's total battle mode out there, Princess. And..." She lowered her head. "...and even I can't take on the entire Rusher roster myself."

Vanellope stepped back in front of Taffyta, cringing upon seeing a large tear in the girl's strawberry hat, and put her hands on her shoulders. "It's okay. You tried the best you could, and I thank you for that. If anyone here's to blame, it's me. I should've known King Candy's  _first_ suggestion, to turn half my castle into a racetrack, was a trick. It was all just a ruse to make things easier for him today!" She shook her head. "Why did I ever listen to him?"

"Because you're too nice. Which isn't your fault! You just wanted what was best for the kingdom." Taffyta crossed her arms and sat hard on the bed. "I'm just angry I didn't see this coming either!" She balled a fist and punched the sheets.

The punch was that of a tiny, light fist against fruit–leather fabric. It was no wonder, then, that the sound of it was easily drowned out by several loud crashes against the room's door. Both were momentarily startled stiff, and Taffyta leapt back up and against Vanellope, her next words escaping her lips in a soft, shaken voice.

"Vanellope. While I was out there, I tried to get through to anyone I could. But the memory loss seems to have gotten to  _everyone_ else. We're the only ones left. What do we do?"

Vanellope was strangely silent. She looked at Taffyta, then the door. Her head then bowed, and her hands fell to her sides, limp and lifeless. "I'm not sure we can do anything, Taffyta. Or should."

Taffyta recoiled, just in time to hear another loud explosion outside. "What are you  _talking about?_ "

"I'm saying it might just be time, okay? Look, we both know I haven't been getting much race time since the last update. No one's choosing me at the select screen anymore. They're all choosing King Candy."

Taffyta grabbed Vanellope and shook her by the shoulders. "That's why you're about to give up? Because of your race ratio? Because you're feeling  _sorry for yourself_?"

" _It's not like that!_ " Vanellope gave up fighting back her tears. "What's important are the  _gamers_ , Taffyta. You said it yourself––as princess, I have to worry about what's best for Sugar Rush. Both in here..." She pointed to the ground, then pointed out the nearby balcony. "...and out there. So if both the gamers  _and_ the other Rushers say they'll have a better time with King Candy as their new monarch... who am I to stand in the way?" she said, her voice cracking through her last few words.

"Who are you? The  _true princess,_  that's what! Vanellope, you  _can't–_ "

But Taffyta could tell that Vanellope already had.

Experience made it obvious. The same resigned look that appeared on Vanellope's face whenever Taffyta got too huge a lead in a race. That same look, that always ended in a spaced–out, desperate smile... yep,  _there_ it was. Right on cue.

"There's nothing I can do to stop you, is there?" Taffyta finished.

Vanellope responded with a hand on Taffyta's cheek. "Taffyta, my best friend, and ever–loyal Sugar Knight... thank you for sticking by me all of this time. Your princess asks of you only one last thing."

Taffyta gave a determined nod while stifling the lump in her throat. "Name it."

"What any sensible program does." She walked over to her dresser, and took out a small black box, bearing the royal insignia––two crossed lollipops. "Leave a backup. Some kind of memory of what Sugar Rush used to be. Maybe one day, the gamers' and Rushers' wishes will swing back around. If that happens, they'll need blueprints––and so will we."

"Memories, huh?" Taffyta peered at the box, which mysteriously sparkled in the light. "All right, can do. But how?"

"Just touch it. Give it whatever you've got. Whatever means the most to you about your time here! Whatever you think will make a lasting impression if we ever come out of this."

"Gotcha." Taffyta reached out and held the box with one hand, and Vanellope's hand with her other. Upon seeing and feeling this, Vanellope closed her eyes, and images of days gone by rushed past her, eternally in fast–forward, impossible to catch...

...being cheered on by her subjects, with Taffyta front and center of the crowd...

...racing with the other Rushers...

...racing with Taffyta alone, giggling to herself as she saw Taffyta desperately trying to hide her smiles...

...and the sweet, tender moments which transpired once Taffyta finally  _stopped_ hiding...

Vanellope opened her eyes, warmth and happiness having replaced the worry which had been on her face seconds earlier. She nodded. "Okay. I'm done."

Taffyta opened her eyes, her face just as peaceful. "I'm done too. Whatever happens now... if it's with you, I can face it."

The two moved forward to share one last hug–

"Good to know."

–which was interrupted by a sinister voice, mirthful laughter, and Taffyta screeching upon receiving an electric shock, all at once.

Vanellope felt Taffyta fall forward onto her, shaking and twitching. She pushed her friend back to arm's length, and gasped in horror as she watched letters, numbers and assorted symbols swirling in a blur across the helpless girl's eyes.

She knew, at that moment, that she was the only one left.

–––

Vanellope glared daggers past Taffyta to a sneering monarch, the scepter he held still crackling from its recent use. "King Candy! What've you done to her?"

King Candy cackled and shrugged. "Same thing I've done to everyone, in case you haven't figured it out. Then again, with such a pint–sized brain to go with the rest of you, I wouldn't be surprised if you were slow on the uptake. I'll break it down for you: Sugar Rush belongs to  _me_ now," he said, fully throwing open the door to the room, and allowing the rest of the Rushers to pile in, all giving Vanellope the same rebellious glower. "By popular vote."

"There's no way you can make it last," said Vanellope. "Sugar Rush knows what it's really like! And so do its players!"

"Oh, you have no idea how wrong you almost were," said King Candy with a trio of 'tsk's. "I originally  _had_ tried to delete you first. Wipe you from the game's code and history entirely. No one would ever have known you existed. It would have been painless, too, I assure you." He growled. "Little bit of trivia, though:  _you_ were the first character ever created for this game. The rest of us were developed with you as the 'coder's compass', so to speak. Thus they left safeguards on you I couldn't break, after months of trying. And even if I had, this whole game might've come tumbling down. That bit you hate so much about how you're hard–coded to be a princess?" He got right in Vanellope's face. " _That saved your life._ "

Vanellope gasped. "My code...  _saved_ me?"

"In that way, yes. But there's always more than one way to modify a game's engine." He gestured around himself. "Ugh. Shame the next best method had to be so... brutish. The less I have to clean up of this castle once I take it over, the better. Anyway, if I can't take your place by deleting you entirely, I just guess I'll have to change the rules. Fortunately your so–called 'subjects' were easy to teach. A little memory snip here, a few reconnections there––all away from you, all onto me. It was going smashingly until I got to  _this_ little lovely here," he said, cupping one hand around Taffyta's chin and placing his face beside hers. "This one... oh,  _this_ one took some doing. Until I realized her one simple weakness. Come on, my dear. Tell your precious princess how you  _really_ feel."

"What do you mean? Taffyta's my best friend–" Vanellope started, then noticed Taffyta glaring at her. Her eyes were cleared of the rolling code, but the eyebrows above them were noticeably slanted, and her mouth curled in disdain. "Taffyta?"

Taffyta answered with a hard push which nearly grounded Vanellope. The princess regained her balance at the last second. "Taffyta, come on! We're in this together, right?"

"As  _if_ ," said Taffyta with a scoff and a place of her hands on her hips. "Look, I guess it's time you learned: the only reason I ever gave you the time of day was because I make sure to always stick with the winning side. And since that's not  _you_ anymore... "

You  _are_ Sugar Rush's other best–known racer, aren't you?" King Candy asked.

Taffy gave a proud nod. "And I didn't get there by giving in to sap. My picture's not on the side of our cabinet for nothing."

King Candy cackled again. "You see? Taffyta's got her drive, just like you have your royal status. Her complete jealousy towards you was hard–coded into her from the start. And it's what keeps her going. No matter how much she tries to be your precious 'best friend', she can't fight who she is. None of us can."

"Except in  _this_ case," said Taffyta, walking towards Vanellope and backing her towards the room's balcony at the same time. "We're fighting against your undeserved tyranny over this place!"

" _What_ tyranny?" Vanellope's breath quickened. "Don't you get it? You're just exchanging one monarch for another! One who doesn't even care about your well–being so long as he gets the power he wants!"

"What  _monarch_?" Taffyta countered. "You? Since when did we ever  _ask_ you to be our ruler? Since when did we ever ask you to be princess of anything besides failure on the track?"

"I–I..." Vanellope froze, completely unsure as to how to respond. Between that and Taffyta's pressure, her body chose the last coping mechanism anyone, including Vanellope herself, would ever have expected.

Her arms did it first. They turned blue, then turned intangible. Then, as quickly as they had done so, they were back to normal, but it didn't stop there. Her legs, her torso, her head, all underwent the same change–and–back–again, in waves.

The whole thing had taken place within a single second, but that was long enough for all present to see... then to freeze and gape in shock. Taffyta was the first to say what they were all thinking.

"Oh my gosh. We... we knew  _something_ was wrong with you, but we had no idea."

"I've seen that happen before," Candlehead said, pointing. "Whenever we race around an unfinished track, they... they glitch out just like that! Does... does that mean Vanellope's been a glitch this whole time, too?"

"I can't believe this," said Taffyta. "You're not just the princess of failure, you're a  _mistake_  that shouldn't even have been here in the first place! And to think, all this time you were trying to be one of us! Trying to act like our ruler, even! You think we'd ever even share a piece of candy with you, let alone let you lead us, now that we know what you  _really_ are?"

Vanellope was positively shaking now. "Taffy, i–it's not like that at all! Y–you've got to believe–"

"I don't believe  _anything_ that comes out of your mouth! You're lucky we don't try to 'fix' you ourselves! So unless you  _want_ that to happen?"

The entire Rusher roster––save for King Candy, who looked on while wearing the most satisfied smile in the universe––advanced until Vanellope was backed towards the edge of the balcony... with Taffyta standing directly over her.

_"Get out."_

With those words, Taffyta gave her hardest push, and the now–former ruler of Sugar Rush fell from near the top of her castle to a surefire demise... or at least she would have had her newfound powers not manifested themselves once more.

From fifty feet up to ground level, in a moment's time. When Vanellope realized what had happened, she got up, dusted herself off... and gasped when she saw that her royal gown had been replaced with her casual clothes.

The same ones presented to her by Taffyta. Made by her subjects. Back when they loved her.

She looked back up at Taffyta, who was still looking down from atop the balcony. Their eyes met for a few split seconds before Taffyta turned away to join the others.

And Vanellope, after weighing her options, headed in the opposite direction from her home. It wasn't self–exile, she told herself. She was just going to come up with a plan, then come back... then... then...

The tears finally came days later, when she was forced to accept that she  _didn't_  have a plan... and that furthermore, she couldn't remember why she'd been trying to think one up in the first place.

–––

_Sugar Rush Speedway_   
_Candy Castle, Vanellope's Chambers_   
_System Clock: 2012.12.24 23:49_

Taffyta regained consciousness with a gasp, and an upright–sitting start.

"Oh my  _gosh_ ," she said. "That  _is_  what happened. I'm starting to remember it now. I can't believe I was so... Vanellope, can you ever... Vanellope?"

She looked around, and saw that her friend was no longer directly next to her. She was, instead, curled up on her bed. Taffyta rose, walked closer, and saw what she worst feared after the feed from the box had concluded.

The tears from the past had carried over to the present.

And when Taffyta wiped them away and got a good look at Vanellope's face, Vanellope went white as a sheet, scurrying further back. "Taffyta! Y–you...!"

Once again, Taffyta knew that look. She'd worn it not two hours ago. "Vanellope. You know that wasn't me in there. Well, okay, I mean it was, but I wasn't myself. You know I'd never do anything like that to you and mean it, right?"

Vanellope didn't answer.

"R–right...?" Taffyta tried again.

After a deep breath, Vanellope spoke. Her voice was low, choked and shaken. For the second time that night, Taffyta cursed the stupid box which had gotten them to this point.

"I–I want to believe you, Taffyta. I really do. But... but I think this might have been a mistake after all. I'm sorry. I think..." she got off of the bed, and backed towards the doorway. "...I think I need some time alone."

Taffyta gasped and jumped to her feet. "No you  _don't_ , Vanellope! Wait up! If you think I'm abandoning you after all this, you've got another–" She lunged for her friend, but Vanellope simply warped away, through the doorway and out of sight.

She ran after her, but it was no use. In under a minute, she heard engine sounds. By the time Taffyta reached the castle doors, the Sugar Rush President's kart was zooming away from the castle at top speed, into the rapidly darkening night.

"Darn it!" Taffyta made moves to her own kart... then remembered that she had none. She hurried back to Vanellope's room to get a better view of her departure, but even a high perch couldn't prevent Vanellope's eventual disappearance from her view.

"Well,  _this_  is just great." Taffy flopped onto the bed. " _Now_  what do I do?"

A bright green light shone to her side. Tafyta looked and saw that the black box was at its old tricks yet again.

"Ohhhh, no you don't," she said, rolling off of the bed and stomping towards it. "Every time I even  _think_  about touching you, something bad happens. Like losing a best friend the second I get reunited with her!" She reared back one foot. "I've got half a mind to kick you into–"

A strawberry–topped blonde appeared over the box, directly in front of Taffyta, licking a lollipop. "Yeeeeeeah, no. I wouldn't do that."

Faced with the view of herself, Taffyta lost consciousness for the third time that evening.


	5. The Promise

_Sugar Rush Speedway_  
_Candy Castle, -UNKNOWN-_  
_System Clock: 2012.12.25 00:20_

For the third time that night, Taffyta Muttonfudge stood in front of one of Candy Castle's doors with a sense of foreboding.

This door, however, had nothing to do with Vanellope's room nor the castle entrance. This door was different. This door carried its own reasons for being special, far more so than the others.

A controller was embedded on the door. Taffyta looked at the name on it. She had no idea what a "Nintendo" was––some sort of ancient video game deity, perhaps? Taffyta shook her head, chuckling to herself for having such a silly thought. It was more than likely just a manufacturer's name.

Or perhaps the truth lay somewhere in between.

Enough mind–wandering. She was on a mission. Her eyes went back to the controller's buttons. With firm thrusts of her palm, she pressed them.

"Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A..."

Taffyta paused, taking a deep breath and gathering her nerves. It wasn't so much that she was suspicious –– she'd just never remembered being here before, despite reports to the contrary.

The only thing scarier than the unknown was unexpected change.

"...Start."

The door in front of her  _whoosh_ ed open, and Taffyta willfully recalled the events of a short time ago to prepare herself...

–––

 _Sugar Rush Speedway_  
_Candy Castle, Vanellope's Chambers_  
_System Clock: 2012.12.25 00:00_

"So, let me get this straight," said Taffyta. "Provided I believe you, anyway." She pointed her lollipop at her holographic double. " _That's_  what I looked like rocking the whole Sugar Knight gimmick?"

The hologram of Sugar Knight Taffyta Muttonfudge self–consciously examined her outfit –– a blend of lightweight white armor bearing a strawberry emblem, underneath which hints of a pink undersuit could be seen. A sword could be seen in one hand as she held its tip on the ground by way of its handle. "W–what's  _wrong_  with the way I look?"

Taffyta gave a challenging sneer. "Let's just say I can't tell if you're seriously stylin' or the most ridiculous thing I've seen since Minty got hold of those "imported" leaves from that plumber game across the arcade! You'll have to give me a few minutes to make a real call."

The Sugar Knight merely giggled. "What did Vanellope tell you earlier? Sugar Rush used to be run very differently. And I ––  _you_  –– used to like wearing this."

Taffyta's sneer disappeared, and she sighed, resisting the urge to bury her head in her hands. "Well, congratulations. I unfortunately believe you. So... who are you?  _What_  are you? I mean, besides the obvious."

The holographic Taffyta licked her own lollipop. "Little something you stuck in here  _maybe_  a week before King Candy took over. Let's face it, we're awesome. You saw his nonsense coming a mile away, but there wasn't much you could do about it. So you started multitasking –– working on something in the background." The Sugar Knight paused, staring into space for a few moments, before speaking again. "But given what the system clock reads, and what else got stored in Vanellope's black box, it looks like we didn't finish in time."

"'Destruction Derby,'" said Taffyta. "Threw us both off guard. I guess neither of us thought King Candy would make his move so soon."

"Yeah." The holographic Taffy shook her head. "A whole bunch of stuff's happened since then and now, looks like. Memory corruption's no joke, and you've still got tons to get back. Everyone does. But the memories you put in this box..." She looked at her present self and smiled as an apparition appeared to the side of Vanellope and Taffyta in an embrace. "...I gotta hand it to us –– we made sure they were the best ones."

Taffyta looked at the image entranced, a sobered look on her face. "She... she's really special, isn't she?"

The Sugar Knight's smile lopsided. "Whoa, hey, chin up. I don't like sap any more than you. Anyway, look –– I'm running out of one–liners here, and those aren't my job anyway, they're hers," she said, pointing at Vanellope, then thumbing back to herself. " _My_  job –– the reason you stuck me in here way back then –– is to tell you how to access my work so you can put the finishing touches on it. Then you'll be able to give Princess Vanellope–"

"President."

The hologram blinked. "What?"

Taffyta licked her lollipop again with a knowing grin. "She's  _President_  Vanellope von Schweetz now. Long story. Pretty fun one, actually, since all I had to do was wait around for her to fix us."

The holo–Taffyta took ten full seconds to process the new information, then laughed. "Wow, and here you were worried about the design this whole time –– but that'll totally fit!" She placed her sword on the ground, and clenched a fist. "All right, then, it's time to give  _President_ Vanellope the right–hand girl she deserves..."

Her grin went toothy.

"...and the rival she needs. You remember where the code room is?"

Taffyta shook her head. "Code room?"

The holo–Taffyta sighed and rolled her eyes. "A thousand viruses on you, King Candy, wherever you are. Touch the box."

Taffyta looked at the box with hesitation, stepping slowly towards it.

"Oh, don't worry, it's safe," said the knight. I'm in charge of it now."

Taffyta nodded as she stood beside the box, her arms slowly reaching out to touch it...

"We don't have all...  _night!_ " the Sugar Knight said, in one fell motion proving that her hologram was both far more solid than Taffyta had assumed, as well as able to grab her counterpart's hand in order to thrust its palm flat against the black box's glowing surface.

There was no time to be surprised, though it was just as well. As green light flowed over the both of them the memories –– the  _images_  –– which had been blinking and speeding through Taffyta's mind all night, at long last came into clear focus and played at normal speed...

...and feelings came with them.

The rush of racing as rivals.

Extending the hand of kindness, wondering why she was even bothering, but still scared of Vanellope's possible rejection for reasons which at the time she couldn't place.

The warm closeness of being accepted into the Princess's good graces, and the private nights the same afforded, always with her new best friend, always away from the prying eyes of the kingdom at large.

The joy and dedication upon being sworn in as Vanellope's knight... and upholding that duty by protecting her and other rushers from the baddies and hazards of the world using nothing but swordplay and pure speed–

"I get it now," said Taffyta, a mystified expression on her face as her hand was drawn away. "Geez, how long ago was all of this stuff?"

"Blame our coders," said Sugar Knight Taffyta with a sheepish grin. "Pop culture for them around the turn of the millenium... had its own identity. Still, gotta say –– slashing a baddie while riding a vehicle in midair over a lava pit? Not exactly uncool."

"Still ridiculous, though," said Taffyta with a wink. "Thanks for the memories, literally. By the way, I remember the code room now."

"Good. That's where I'm gonna need you to go. When you get there, access our node, and find the 'Knight' subroutine. It'll be commented out 'cause I was doing some tinkering... which now that I think about it, is probably why we got taken over so easily during the coup. Didn't want to admit it to Vanellope, but I wasn't at my best at the time. After this, you will be."

"Got it."

"Sweet." The hologram looked up, meeting her counterpart's eyes, and clasped their hands together. "Take care of her, okay? I mean, she's silly and foul–mouthed and kind of insane..."

Taffyta nodded. "...but she's ours. And a better leader than we'd ever be. Right?"

"Heh, you get it. Then again, I knew I would."

With a happy smile and wave, Sugar Knight Taffyta picked up her sword, and dematerialized.

Taffyta looked at the black box. Its glow was gone. She picked it up, shook it. Nothing. Completely inert. It must have finally given up everything in its storage.

She tossed it back onto the bed, and walked towards Vanellope's doors. She touched them, they gave way...

–––

...and thirty minutes later, the castle drawbridge did the same.

A blonde in a striped pink jumpsuit, translucent pink goggles, matching helmet and green scarf roared out of the castle on a gleaming motorcycle.

A ramp overlooking a small river lay ahead. With a challenging glare, she revved her bike's throttle and poured on the speed.

She hit the ramp and was instantly launched. A huge pink combustive explosion took place behind her, propelling her as she sailed –– solely and entirely because she  _could_. There'd still been room in the design to allow for an effects toggle.

_I'm coming, Vanellope! You may not want me to, but let's face facts: you need me..._

She landed, her bike rocketing off into the distance.

_...just as much as I need you._

–––

 _Sugar Rush Speedway_  
_Chocolate Roads_  
_System Clock: 2012.12.25 00:45_

**TRACKING: PRESIDENT VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ: 15 MILES**

Taffyta looked up from her cycle's onboard display. She would later find out that the tracking system had been loaded with exactly one profile: that of the President. She'd have to make sure to install other racers later. For now, however, it was exactly what she needed, and she was just glad that it had offered its assistance –– not to mention worked correctly.

Still, the distance... really? Taffyta huffed to herself, then tapped a few buttons and checked the display again. According to her new ride's onboard Gameworld Positioning System, Vanellope had retreated to one of the most remote regions of Sugar Rush–

–wait.

Was she reading this right?

"What in the world is 'Diet Cola Mountain?'"

She'd never heard of it, but if that was indeed Vanellope's predicted destination, then Taffyta would find out soon enough. If only she hadn't had such a head start! Taffyta wished more than anything that she had a way to catch up–

As if reading her thoughts, another button popped up on the bike's front, marked "Calorie Afterburners."

She pressed it, and the bike took off at three times speed.

After the initial shock, Taffyta decided that she could get used to this.

–––

Fifteen minutes later, Taffyta knew what Diet Cola Mountain was.

She turned up her nose. Sheesh, no wonder no one ever went here. The place looked totally boring, and absolutely  _reeked_  of artificial sweetener. Though she'd never gotten its name, she'd remembered being here just once. A lot of...  _things_  had been happening at the time that didn't allow her to get a good look at the place.

She squinted. Was that a soda bottle in the distance? She decided it couldn't have been –– there were too many bumps and swirls around it. Not to mention it still looked like an explosion had hit the thing.

Taffyta looked back at her display. According to it, her quarry was close. She looked forward to see moving taillights.

At last.

"Vanellope!" she called out, to no response. She accelerated again, closing the distance, then tried again.

_"Va–nel–lo–peeeeee!"_

This time, Vanellope looked around, then behind her. "T–T–Taffyta? Is that you?" Her expression was expectedly shocked. "Whoa, what are you wearing? What are you  _riding_?"

"Cut your engines and we'll talk all about it!" Taffyta called back.

Vanellope shook her head. "Just go back to the castle! We'll talk when I do the same!" She accelerated, the distance between them widening again.

Taffyta gritted her teeth. "Don't give me that! You know I don't give up! Especially not in a race!"

 _And double especially not in a race for your friendship,_ Taffyta thought. _If that's what it comes down to... then let's do this!_

–––

 _Sugar Rush Speedway_  
_Diet Cola Mountain_  
_System Clock: 2012.12.25 01:10_

The afterburners were spent. She'd have to catch up the old–fashioned way, which was fine by her.

The volcanic explosion of Diet Cola Mountain had made it look the worse for wear cosmetically, but by sheer chance it had also refashioned the exterior in quite the driving strip –– if of course by "strip" one meant "mile–high spiral."

She saw Vanellope climb up the spiral cliffs on her kart –– darned speedy little thing since she'd gotten it rebuilt, Taffyta had to admit –– and Taffyta did her best to keep following. Keeping a turn on a motorcycle wasn't like handling a four–wheeler at all, and Taffyta had to fight to keep from oversteering while also dodging debris. Eventually, she got things the way she wanted –– one lean, in one consistent direction, with  _very_ precise and controlled movements of her arms to avoid rocks where they lay.

The whole time, Vanellope hadn't looked back once. Taffyta did her best not to take offense. Given the craziness that was the mountain, she hadn't thought of checking her own rear once either.

It was an eternity of fighting to stay on the road... and but when Taffyta wasn't sure she could take anymore, she could see bright lights in the sky.

The mountain's peak. She'd made it.

She accelerated to top speed and passed her opposition. After making made sure to get enough leading space, she turned  _hard_ , tires screeching, on the surface of the mountaintop to coming to a perpendicular stop directly in front of Vanellope's kart.

If there was one thing Taffyta gave Vanellope, it was that she was usually quick on the uptake. With a startled gasp, the latter slammed on the brakes, coming to a stop directly in front of the motorcycle.

"All right, all right,  _I give up already!_ " The President of Sugar Rush exited her kart in a show of pouting. "You win, okay? Sheesh."

"Finally," said Taffyta, dismounting her bike. "I mean, geez, just completely make me work for it, why don't you?"

"You know it's what I do." The two girls stood in front of each other, with Vanellope sizing her up. "You look different."

Taffyta preened. "I had to code myself a new fashion sense. Bad experience, long story. You wanna make fun of it, do it later, okay?"

"Why?" Vanellope smiled. "I like it." Taffyta's blush went unnoticed as Vanellope's gaze was swiftly drawn to the motorcycle. "But  _whoa!_ Where'd you even get this thing?"

"Same place as the outfit." Taffyta sighed. "Had a bit of a heart–to–heart with my old self in the black box, just like you did. Turns out I saw the coup coming, just not fast enough, and––hey, what are you  _doing?_ "

Vanellope looked up, her tongue on the bike's chassis. "Ith peppermint," she said in mid–lick.

"Quit that!" Taffyta said, waving Vanellope away from the bike. "It's  _brand new_  is what it is! Not to mention that's gross! I've been on dirt roads!"

Vanellope rolled her eyes. "Our 'dirt roads' are made outta chocolate, Taffyta."

" _Not the point!_  Ugh!" Taffyta huffed, then calmed down and looked around the vast mountain peak. "So what is this place? Last I saw of it, it was overflowing with boiling soda––huh?"

Once again, Vanellope's eyes had been caught by something, and she ran from away Taffyta over to another part of the peak. Taffyta huffed again. Sometimes, that girl had the attention span of a parakeet.

Until she didn't. Vanellope picked up a piece of charred debris, completely entranced. Taffyta walked over, and upon getting a closer look saw that Vanellope was looking at a blackened melding of candy wrappers.

"I can't believe it survived," Vanellope whispered.

"What survived?"

"Pieces of my home." Vanellope paused. "This used to be my blankie."

Taffyta blinked. "Wait, rewind. You had a home out here?"

"I  _had_  a home  _in_  here. Once I got kicked out of my castle, I wandered around a whole bunch until I stumbled in here by accident. No one ever came by, so..."

Taffyta looked down. "...so you made yourself at home in a volcano."

Vanellope's head turned to Taffyta with unexpected speed. "Hey, it was still less dangerous than having King Candybutt and you guys hunting me down! You get put in the Fungeon once, you  _never_  want in there again!"

Taffyta took a step back. "Vanellope, I didn't mean it like–"

" _Everyone hated me_ , okay? For  _years!_ " Vanellope's voice softened, but the cracking persisted. "Video games were created to make people happy. This is a game full of smiles and candy. We were supposed to be the  _happiest game in the arcade_  –– but for years it was kept running by  _hate._ And the worst part is, now I know how we got here."

She sighed and let the debris of her former home fall to the floor.

"I guess in a way King Candy did me a favor, wiping my memory. Only thing worse than failing your game would be having to be reminded of it every day, huh?"

A silence fell over the mountaintop, until Taffyta walked in front of her friend. "Vanellope."

Vanellope averted her gaze.

Taffyta stepped closer, nudging their faces level. "Vanellope,  _look at me_. You... l... darn it, I can't take this. You are being a total  _whiner_  right now. Do you get me? A big dumb whiner. Stop crying already."

"I–I'm  _not_  crying!" Vanellope said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Ugh, and now a liar on top of it. Look, I don't  _blame_  you for crying or anything. But quit it anyway. You're supposed to be our  _leader_. And if there's anyone who should be kicking themselves and crying over how they failed the kingdom, it's me. I'd forgotten all that stuff too."

Vanellope remained silent. Taffyta took another step forward, closing the space between them completely.

"I... I'd forgotten that it was my job to protect you. It always was. 'Cause if I didn't... not only does Sugar Rush get totally screwed up, but hey –– who am I going to have as a rival? And King Candy knew that too, which let him take the stuff I do, the things I  _am_ , and twist them.

Do you get it, Vanellope?"

Vanellope didn't respond.

"He made our rivalry something I never wanted it to be: unfriendly. And when he turned me, you saw a flash of me at beyond my worst. I..." Taffyta shook her head sharply back and forth. "You gotta believe me, Van, I tried to fight it  _so hard_..."

"Don't blame yourself," Vanellope said. "Our rivalry's in your code, and–"

And it was Taffyta's turn to outburst. " _So was our friendship, right?_ " She sniffled. "But only one got rewritten." Taffyta wrapped her arms around Vanellope with a gentle, empathic air, such that Vanellope barely felt the embrace at all until she was pulled close. "You... you weren't just our princess. You were my best friend. I mean, I was yours. I mean, no, we're... are we...?"

Vanellope smiled and nodded. "'Course we are."

Taffyta rested her head on Vanellope's shoulder. "And I feel terrible that, for so long, we lost that."

Another long silence passed, before Vanellope whispered her reply:

"Now  _you're_  crying. Quit it."

Taffyta giggled and sniffled. "Shut up."

"Back at ya," said Vanellope, doing the same.

The hug continued for minutes, the both of them enjoying the warmth and softness of each others' outfits and emotions in the simulated evening. Far too soon for Taffyta, Vanellope pulled away.

"Rival and protector... Taffyta, I never thought about it, but... did the other Rushers ever look at  _you_  differently? You know, what with your part in the game being so closely linked to me and all."

Taffyta scoffed. "'Course they do. It's also my job to not care." She paused. "Sometimes I'm actually good at it."

Vanellope giggled. "Starting to get why you understood me. You might be the only one who does for a while, too."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously." Vanellope looked out towards the horizon, where bitmapped stars were just beginning to appear. "Our most important memories may have gotten restored, but we're running off of decade–and–a–half–old hardware here. It's gonna take a stupid long time for everything to get back in the right order. I've gone as far as Chocolate Chip Cliffs to remember some things. I might be the main character and all, but there's still a lot of myself I've gotta to find. Functions... subroutines..." She placed a hand on her chest and turned back towards Taffyta. "...heart. And as Commander–in–Chief, I'm willing to help  _everyone_  find theirs... and you find yours. If you'll let me."

"Now  _that's_  the President I like to see," said Taffyta. "I'll take you up on that offer. But if you're busy trying to find everyone's memories... who's going to run this place?"

Vanellope put her hands in her hoodie's pockets and teered from side to side. "Well, not gonna lie –– I'll be back and forth. It's a big wide game out there. But when I'm not around,  _someone's_  gonna have to help me defend Sugar Rush from threats, right? We  _don't_  want another King Candy. Someone's also going to have to keep an eye out for scattered memories when I can't. Maybe make some decisions. Rally the Rushers."

An expectant look crossed Taffyta's face despite her efforts to suppress it. "Gonna need a point here, Schweetz."

Vanellope rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, one of these days I'm going to find out why you've got such an allergy to dramatic buildup. Fine, fine. I hereby appoint you, Taffyta Muttonfudge, as First Agent of the Sugar Secret Service. You can recruit anyone you want, so long as you think they're up to the task."

Taffyta thought it over for one second. "Candlehead," she said with a snicker.

Vanellope didn't skip a beat, an snickered back. "I hereby revoke your recruiting privileges and take them as my own. Nah seriously, I trust ya." She looked over to the side. "So, think you and your fancy new bike are up to it?"

Taffyta blinked away oncoming tears and grinned as her heart swelled. "I might. Wanna try it out for yourself?" she asked, walking towards the bike.

Vanellope looked at her kart. She could always have the guards teleport it back to the castle later. The second Taffyta hopped on her new vehicle, Vanellope hopped directly behind, wrapping her arms around Taffyta for support.

Pink and aquamarine helmets materialized and plopped onto her heads, and Taffyta revved the handle, taking them on a leisurely drive down the mountain. As she did, snowflakes fell.

Taffya looked up. "Oh, right. Merry Christmas, Vanellope. And thanks for the gift."

"Merry Christmas, Taffyta," Vanellope replied. "What gift?"

"Ugh.  _You_." Taffyta 'tch'ed. "You goof."

Vanellope winked back, giving a kiss to Taffyta's cheek. "You know you love it."

Taffyta's heart silently fluttered in her chest. "You mean, you're  _lucky_  I do."

"Yeah, that too."

The two rode off into the Vanilla Moon Pie–lit night.

~fin~


End file.
